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Restoring!

i jst like to ask how to make a CD that will do all the job after formatting, like one of those in branded PCs (for ex. Compaq's QuickRestore) I want to make my own customize restore CD. How can I do that?

My Compaq restore disk was made by Norton Ghost.
With a program like that, I guess you could get your
system just the way you want it, and then creat your
rescue CD that will completely restore the system.

The advantage of this approach is that it is a lot
faster thad doing a manual install from the windows CD.
Also, some of us never got a windows CD with our
computers, just the restore CD from the manufacturer.

There may be other programs out there besides
Norton Ghost, that will do the same thing. It's how
manufacturers build their computers. They build one
prototype, install all the OS and software, get everything
set up. Then they clone the hard drive with some
program that will duplicate that installation. Otherwise
it would take forever to install all that stuff.

After you make an image with an image utility like Norton Ghost or IC3, then you need to create a bootable CD with your HD image, and the floppy disk image that the imaging utility will have you create. With both images on the bootable CD, it should walk you right through a HD restore.

I agree with everyone that Norton Ghost is the way to go. You can find information regarding the program HERE. The Home/Retail User edition will cost less and probably be easier to use for someone who is unfamiliar with using it First set up your computer exactly how you want it (with Windows and all the drivers and programs you need installed) and then simply run Ghost to make an image of it.

The only con to creating a restore disc of your own that I can think of is that it doesn't allow you any flexibility to upgrade, unless you update your restore disc everytime that you update a driver, install a new peripheral, etc.
Forinstance, the computer that I use has a restore disc that is absolutely useless to me, since I have replaced the processor, video card, sound card, modem, CD-ROM, have upgraded DirectX along with many other processes, and flash updated the BIOS multiple times. (Not to blow my own horn, but this computer can blow away most middle priced systems that are advertised, and it's 4 years old.)
If you feel that you can keep up with your improvements to your system and create a new restore disc every time, more power to you and good luck.